Where can bandsaw blades be repaired?

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Teeth are still sharp (they are practically new), just hate to discard them if they can be repaired. Both broke at the weld. (I don't have the spot welder of a real bandsaw)XMT304 (school)SP125+ (home)HF 4x6 BandsawGood judgement comes from experience and much of that comes from bad judgement.
Reply:You don't say how big of blade. Usually if they are breaking at the weld it is a cheap blade / foreign import.I've done it in a sort of hick way. Grind match the break if needed, clamp it down on a clean dry brick but leave a wee gap. Stick weld it with the 1/16" Eastwood rod designed for auto body repair. Metal should flow thru enough you only have to do one side.Grind it on a fine small wheel, maybe finishing with sandpaper. Remember to grind the back smooth too. Heat with propane torch till cherry red. Works sometimes, depends on the blade quality a lot. I've heard brazing is better if you don't have the bandsaw welder for real.Cheap blades nothing probably works for long. The smaller blades you probably need a bandsaw welder.
Reply:depending on the size, you could turn it into hacksaw blades to not waste it.I run a portable band-saw sawmill for Dad, and asked about having the broken ones repaired at the local sawmill blade place (yes, I am out in the sticks), and was told it wasn't worth it and I wouldn't be happy with the results. It can obviously be done, because that is how they are made initially, but they are also made initially with plenty of specialized equipment. When I was at college, we were building a little off-road competition buggy and broke the band-saw blade. As we didn't have spares, we had the resident welder/machinist employed by the school repair it. He ended up having to repair it several times because it just kept on re-breaking.I'd say it may be worth it if you have nothing better to do or you can't get a replacement for whatever reason, otherwise, forget it.
Reply:I think often silver solder is used to put them back together.... or make them when using bulk rolls.... they are ground with a matching long bevel on them then soldered... I think this keeps the bendability in the metal compared to taking it to welding temperature...Weldandpower Lincoln 225 AC,DC with Briggs 16hp gas engine.WW2 era Miller TIG.
Reply:They both are small 64-1/2" (x 1/2") blades made by American Vermont/Bosch. I hate Murphy, think I'll give the silver solder a try. THANKS!XMT304 (school)SP125+ (home)HF 4x6 BandsawGood judgement comes from experience and much of that comes from bad judgement.
Reply:Yep, thanks for that. The third video at the bottom is interesting.Can't really see what he is doing, I got a big TV as a monitor but the quality of the video is only 360p. Normally I can see a nat's arse on this set up.Seems like he is saying cut the joint as an angle, maybe 45 degree or something. That was unclear. Also unclear what he was using for solder. Neat idea for the torch.Unclear in terms of really seeing it done. I always wondered why the factory did not do an angled joint,  or some configuration other than an edge joint seems you would spread any forces, bending fatigue, etc, etc over a longer, better to resist area instead of like a edge joint. Edge joint is so easy to fail.Too many of them try to make it like rocket science, the third video seemed to be very straightforward to bad the quality was so bad. Wonder if you could use tinning butter, tin the metal and just use regular solder on an angled joint. The solder can remain over the area as a super thin coat, after you clean it. Propane torch, it wipes super clean and smooth with a rag.Don't have a band saw right now. Something to remember for the future. One of those jigs should be easy to build in a number of ways. Be interesting to try the old stick welding trick on an angled joint. I just clamped it, using a metal ruler to get it lined up initially. In the stick welding you are just trying to flow metal, not paying much attention to making some bead, doing a lil faster travel and more angle. Just trying to fill that gap left with molten metal.
Reply:I have also seen them cut or punched so that the ends fit together like a locking jigsaw puzzle... then silver soldered in place...if done correctly all the force is taken by the steel and the solder is just holding it in place..As to angle on the other one.... you want as long a taper as possible... to give you the greatest surface area for the solder... 45 would be way too short....Weldandpower Lincoln 225 AC,DC with Briggs 16hp gas engine.WW2 era Miller TIG.
Reply:Hey guys,For those of you who use 1/2" or less width bandsaw blades, the HF bandsaw blade welder is a great unit. I've had mine for about 7yrs now & I make all my blades for my (2) bandsaws. I bought (2) 250' rolls of blades way back & got them for $56/roll. Blades for my saws cost about $1.80/ea.. If you use a lot of blades, wood or metal, this is a good way to save some $$$. Doesn't take long that the unit will pay itself off. I got mine back then w/coupon for $99.Denny Attached ImagesComplete Welding/Machine/Fab. ShopMobile UnitFinally retired*Moderator*"A man's word is his honor...without honor there is nothing.""Words are like bullets.... Once they leave your muzzle, you cannot get them back."
Reply:Wow, That ' wood' save some big money fast...glad to know that HF blade maker is in the ' ones that don't suck'....  I got my wood bandsaw from HF on sale for $260 ...usually about $340 back then I think... and it ROCKS... I mean it WOODS.... did not even have to track the wheels when setting it up.... dead on... I am really pleased with it...Weldandpower Lincoln 225 AC,DC with Briggs 16hp gas engine.WW2 era Miller TIG.
Reply:Originally Posted by wireheadTeeth are still sharp (they are practically new), just hate to discard them if they can be repaired. Both broke at the weld. (I don't have the spot welder of a real bandsaw)
Reply:I'm pleased overall my my $200 HF bandsaw too (except the vice really sucked, had to file on that some), cuts are clean and straight, angles are spot on  ... unfortunately, HF doesn't appear to sell their blade "fixers" anymoreRATS:Last edited by wirehead; 10-11-2011 at 10:26 AM.XMT304 (school)SP125+ (home)HF 4x6 BandsawGood judgement comes from experience and much of that comes from bad judgement.
Reply:Don't you have a local saw shop? I used to work at a saw shop and we made up bands several times a week. With the correct machine it takes about one minute start to finish.Ian TannerKawasaki KX450 and many other fine tools
Reply:A friend got a few blades free, but they were too long for his 4X6.  He took them to a shop that did that sort of thing.  The cost was more than I give to Enco for new blades.  I wait until the shipping is free or I buy something else and need just a bit more $$$ to hit the free shipping.
Reply:Find a guy that works at one of those saw sharpening places. That was how I lost my job messing with bandsaw blades. I never used the ones, I supposely fixed. Guy down the street wanted them done. After a number of years, his son got a job at a saw blade place.They did all sorts of stuff, sold, sharpened, serviced, whatever. Pay back time. I got all my other dull blades sharpened for free. Did a hellva, job I had a lot of them, ones for the table saws, etc. He did drills too.Some of them workers probably run a side business. That kid brought home everything under the sun. He said it was scrap. Wait outside, find the right guy after work.